Automobile headlight



May 19, 1925. l,538,l 14

A. HOFFMAN AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT Filed Oct. 13. 1924 5/ INVENTOR.

ALFDNSU UFFMAN Fl [3| 7 M w Vl ATTORNEY? FIEU4 Patented May 19, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALFONSO HOFFMAN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT.

Application filed October 13, 1924.' Serial N'o. 743,336.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFoNso HOFFMAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to automobile headlights, and more particularly to headlights controllable so as to project their beams at different heights and distances from the machine in connection with which they are used, my object being the provision of an arrangement by which the lamps may be tilted as desired and adjustably held in any desired tilted position.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates my present invention and forms a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a pair of headlights mounted and supported in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section showing one of the headlights and also the proposed controlling connections,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lamp supporting shaft adjacent to one end, 7

Figure 5 is a side view of the head of one of the supporting standards or uprights,

Figure 6 is an enlarged view partly in section showing the manually controlled adjusting parts, and

Figure 7 is a detail section taken therethrough substantially on line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring now to these fi 'ures, my inven' tion contemplates the use of headlights consisting of a pair of lamps 10 which may be of any well known or desired construction. In the present instance I have shown these lamps of a certain shape, provided with visors 11 but it is to be understood that as to these features my invention allows a wide range of latitude in selection, many types of lamps now on the market being readily adaptable to the supporting and tiltingconnections which my invention proposes.

Referring to my invention the lamps 10 are provided at their lower portions with bracl; :ts 12 engaged, by means of clamps 13, at selected points along a horizontal supporting shaft 14, the latter journaled through the upper bearing heads of spaced apart lamp supporting standards or uprights 16; These standards or uprights are bolted or otherwise suitably secured at 17, at their lower ends, to adjacent portions of the front of an automobile in connection with which the headlights are to be used.

From the above it will be understood that the lamps may be placed at various distances apart and a shaft 14 used of a length adapted to the spacing of the supporting standards or uprights 16 required by any particular structure of automobile, the lamp holding clamps 13 engaging the shaft 14 inwardly beyond the standards or uprights 16 so that the lamps are left free for desired spacing irrespective of the spacing of the standards or uprights.

Beyond the standards or uprights 16, there are secured upon the projecting ends of the shaft 14 a pair of collars 18, these collars preferably held by set screws 19 and having at their inner sides projecting pins '20 which extend into arcuate slots 21 in-the outer faces of the heads 15 of the standards or uprights 16 so as to thus limit. the oscillatory movement of the shaft 14 in the adjustable tilting of the lamps.

In order to adjust the lamps, the shaft 14 has secured thereto a depending arm 22 seen in Figures 1 and 3, this arm being joined by a connecting rod 23 with one end of a lever 24 intermediately fulcrumed upon a bearing member 25 secured to a convenient portion of the'vehicle adjacent to the lower end of the steering post or column 26. The other end of the lever 24 is pivotally connected to the lower end of an ad usting rod 27 extending upwardly along the steering post or column 26 parallel with the latter and through a tubular bearing member 28, the latter of which is securely anchored adjacent to the upper endof the steering post or column by means of a double clamp 29, one end of which engages the bearing member 28 and the other end of which engages the steering post or column. The extreme upper end of the adjusting rod 27 has-a button or handle 30, and its portion passing through the tubular adjusting member 28 is frictionally engaged with suflicient tension to firmly hold the adjusting rod in adjusted position by virtue of a lower slotted extension 31 of the said bearing member which as plainly shown in Figures 3, 6 and 7, is externally taperedand threaded for the reception of a clamping nut 32 whereby the adjustable pressure just above mentioned is readily accomplished and maintained.

It is preferable that the extreme ends of the shaft 14 beyond the limiting collars 18, be covered and finished by means of end ca s 33, shown in Figures 1 and 4, preferably held in place by set screws 34 although it is obvious the indicated shape of these end caps maybe varied at will and that their presence is not a vital necessity to the operation.

steering post supported adjusting connections places these parts within convenient reach of the operator, it is not essential that the adjusting parts be supported by the steering post. The position of the parts in respect to the other features may be varied at will with the consideration of easy convenient manipulation always in mind.

I claim: A device of the character described inlamp casings upon the shaft, a pair of supporting uprights having upper heads through which the ends of the shaft are journaled, coacting means carried by the shaft and the said standards to limit rocking movement of the shaft, and connections for rocking the shaft in use, including an adjusting rod, and a tubular bearing mem- It is also to be understood that While the ber through which the adjusting rod is extended, having manually regulated means r for frictionally gripping the rod to hold the same and the lamp supporting shaft in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I have afl'ixed my signature.

ALFONSO HOFFMAN. 

